We are, alas, a nation of lying philanderers, putting our sexual health and that of our partner at risk because of our insatiable lust for sex with strangers. Or so says this survey, commissioned to promote an online pharmacy:

Michael Ross, spokesperson for online pharmacy Medexpress.co.uk, which carried out the survey said: ‘It is also shocking to see how many people would actually lie if they had an STI.

‘Sexually transmitted infections should be taken seriously and willingly lying and then sleeping with someone, especially if you aren’t willing to wear protection, is outright nasty.

‘We urge people to be honest with anyone they plan to be sleeping with; this will help prevent the unnecessary spreading of sexually transmitted diseases.’

MedExpress, our online doctor and pharmacy client, recently undertook a study looking into the sexual behaviours and attitudes of Britons between 18 and 45 years old.

The results of the study brought to lie some absolute shockers (or not, if you’re more the wild kind), such as;

– 76% wouldn’t admit to having an STI
– A further 8% wouldn’t use extra protection if they found out they had an STI
– 32% lie about the number of people they’ve slept with

There were far more shockers in the release that went out, including how many people it’s acceptable to admit to sleeping with to a potential partner (seriously, go check it out)…

In the meantime though, we wanted to show off some of the great coverage we’ve had through off the back of pushing this release out…

Good to see a PR company happy to throw people with STIs under the bus in order to promote their client. And people wonder why I call for more ethical PR practices.

*UPDATE: I spoke to Dr Petra Boynton, a social psychologist specialising in sex and relationships research. She explained to me the potential harm of PR stories like this:

I don’t think calling people ‘nasty’ for not disclosing if they have an STI is okay. Many people don’t know they have infections, or may not realise until after they’ve had sex with others. It’s very rare people really do know and deliberately infect other people (and that’s a whole, complex situation in itself). This kind of shaming is what puts people off going to clinics for help as they fear that’s how healthcare staff will relate to them.

The overall tone also is hugely stigmatising around STIs and maintains the whole idea they’re shameful and embarrassing – so much so that people lie about it and what bastards they are for doing so.